The Contract
by HopelessRomantica
Summary: A signature was all that was needed to ensure that my life would change forever. Oc x Undecided Re- Edited. Pairing voting open.
1. Chapter One

**Chapter Notes:**So this chapter is around 7,800 words long not including the notes. I have gone through and re-edited this. I hope it's better. This will not be the last editing phase, as I have to correct some small flaws with grammar. It would make this job a lot easier if you guys could point it out. Please give me your most critiqued review so I can make this reading much better for you. So far this chapter was an extreme pain in the ass to edit. This is the longest chapter I've ever written, I worked really hard on this and and constructive words are great. I don't have a beta reader and I'm currently looking for one. So if anyone is interested please email me.

**I do not own YuYu Hakusho**. I own only the plot.

* * *

**The Contract**

**Chapter One**

* * *

I've never imagined how I would die.

I only assumed it would be by natural causes and I hoped that nothing extremely crazy would happen. Freak weather conditions, for example were not on my list, if any a desired way to die.

I knew that death, no matter how unwanted, was inevitable. It held no prejudice and if you were lucky, it was painless. Most are afraid to die, to feel the cold clutches of it tear soul out their body. What was there to be afraid of? It was only natural that if you were to live, you should expect to one day die.

Those who were afraid were cowards, and it didn't shock me at all that I was indeed one of those cowards.

I tried to enjoy the fruits of life, but how could I when I had so many obstacles I had to face?

It was in my seventeen years of life that I felt were the most horrible years one could face. An elder person would ask me why, because indeed I was young and indeed I had so much ahead of me. Why not enjoy all life had to offer, instead of wasting the most of it succumbing to the pain of the trails it laid before me?

Pain.

That was the true reason why I couldn't enjoy life and the true reason behind my fear of death. The life I had, had granted me reason to be fearful of the future. Most of it had held the hand of the ache life gave me.

I had lost my immediate family directly in front of my eyes and was placed into the unloving arms of a surrogate family. The surrogates, still being my own family, were unkind and uncaring people who never cared about my existence. It was the government who placed me into their unfortunate care. I was left in their cold, disinterested stares all the while feeling as though my world was crashing towards ground.

I was seven years old when the pain started. I still could remember every second of that night.

* * *

I was lying in my bed while dad attempted to alleviate my fears of the boogieman. "The boogieman is only a fiction of your imagination Ali baby." He said, using his nickname for me.

"It is there to scare you and to make you fear vulnerable, but I know that my daughter couldn't possibly be afraid of the boogieman! Do you know why?" He had asked me. I still remember every detail about him.

His warm almond shaped dark chocolate eyes and compassionate smile. He was the kind of person by just smiling, could calm your worries and make your day a little brighter. Curly dark brown hair, olive skin, high cheekbones and a straight nose, my dad was certainly a looker in his younger years. He was 34 at the time.

I looked up at him with the innocent dark brown eyes of a seven year old "Why daddy?" I asked.

"It's because you're daddy's brave strong little girl!" He exclaimed and poked my nose with an affectionate smile.

I giggled and with determined little hands I grasped his "You're right daddy, I am brave! I'll make you proud, you'll see! That mean ol' boogieman can't scare me!" I said to him, a boldness resonating in my wide eyes.

Smiling at my words he kissed my forehead "That's right my Ali baby, now get some rest and I'll see you in the morning."

I could only nod as I felt my eyes getting heavy and sooner than I knew it, I fell asleep.

* * *

I dreamt of the time dad and I visited the playground just a little ways down from where I lived, in the cool town of Wysner, West Virginia.*

The town was very small, with only a population of 1540 people. Everyone knew each other and I went to an elementary school with about 110 of those children.

Some of the children's parents were wealthy enough to own three story houses that were filled with extravagant things. I often saw those children come to school with very nice clothes, nice little bows in their hair, and nice shiny shoes. Most like my family didn't have the luxury of money and had to farm to get the things they needed by selling their crop goods.

Even though I wasn't blessed with large sums of money, dad taught me that something that is truly valuable cannot be bought with money. I was quite content with living on our little farm, with our two cows and four chickens. We owned one rooster and he was a fiery thing, I often couldn't control him, he did what he wanted.

The playground was small and was surrounded by fields beyond it swaying vibrant green in the wind. It contained one thin rusty metal slide, two big kid swings and one small baby swing. I didn't like the slide so much because in the summer it often got two hot and I couldn't slide down it without getting burned on my legs. My favorite part of that place was the swings.

Since I was five and daddy said that I was a big girl now, I could use the big kid's swings much to my happiness. I quickly ran to the one closest to the end of the set. I liked the swings because I felt as though I could fly. I knew that I was supposed to keep my hands tight around the metal ropes. I learned that quickly, because one time I fell and scraped my knee pretty bad.

It was a really hot day, so I dressed in my favorite dark blue denim shorts and yellow short sleeved Scooby doo T-shirt. I was wearing my favorite blue jelly flip flops that mom bought my two months ago. I wiggled my toes and loved the slapping sound they made when they hit the backs of my feet. When Dad caught up to me he began to slowly push me. I giggled and then I remembered something I wanted to ask him for a while. I stopped the motion of the swing

"Daddy, what does a green thumb mean?" Dad taught me how to plant seeds and care for the crops. One day he told me, much to my surprise I was a natural and had a nice green thumb. I was confused when he told me this

"Daddy how can I have a green thumb? Won't it fall off from jin-ger-vi-tus?"

My dad chuckled at me and ruffled my hair.

"I think that you're thinking of is gangrene and no Ali baby it's not the same thing."

I looked at my thumb, but I saw no green on my skin.

"Daddy, my thumb is not green, so what are you talkin' bout'?"

He simply smiled at me and gently grasped my little hand, bending down to eye level with me. "A green thumb simply means a person who is good with plants." He said while referring to my small chubby digit.

"Oh, so that means that I have magic, because I can make plants grow?"

He smiled at me "Something like that." A wide grin spread on my face "Cool!" I exclaimed loudly.

* * *

I woke up to what seemed like moments later to a bloodcurdling scream and a bone chilling _boom_.

Frightened, I jumped out of bed as quietly as I could and slipped out of my room to where my parent's room was. Hurriedly I entered, searching for the one who made the scream. I caught my dads' eye and I saw that we were the only ones in the room. My stomach dropped as I realized that my mother was not present and that could only mean, those screams were hers. My dad grabbed me quickly and pushed me into the closet behind the big box of clothes that stood close to the end corner toward the right.

"You have to be very brave for me Ali baby, just like we talked before, do you remember that?" he asked me. I nodded quickly, remembering the moment before I had fallen asleep which what seemed like only minutes ago. Judging from the brightness in the room, I could tell it was still dark.

"Good, now I need you to be very quiet and to not move. I will be back for you as soon as I can" he smiled at me but I no longer felt the comfort his smiles usually brought and suddenly I became very afraid.

I only nodded at him showing that I understood him. He quickly moved to the other corner of the small closet and placed a pile of thick folded blankets on top of my head.

"I love you so much Alice, so very, very much." He said to me, and I could hear the extreme sadness in his voice. I didn't understand why.

"I love you too daddy." My voice came out muffled and I could feel my eyes beginning to prick with fresh tears.

"I know princess" he quickly closed the closet door just as soon as I heard footsteps begin to come from the opening of my parent's room.

Moments later I heard someone enter my parents room.

"Where's the money." a gruff voice demanded. "There is no money here!" I heard my dad say, but his voice was not like the one I had heard before in all my childhood. It was angry, never had I heard this tone of voice even when I had not picked up my toys, come inside at the right hour, or not eat my dinner. It was then I realized that this person was a bad man a very bad man. I pushed up at the blanket that covered my head and peaked through the wooden blinds that covered the closet door in dusty separated spaces. I saw my dad, in his periwinkle blue pajamas looking very angrily at the man that stood at the front of my parent's bedroom door. 'No,' I thought to myself. He didn't look angry; he looked as if he wanted to hurt that man very badly.

"I want the fucking money!" the other man yelled loudly and I almost gasped. That was a very bad word and daddy will get very angry!

My daddy looked at the man with a harsh look "There is no money here!" he repeated twice as angry and with an emotion I didn't quite understand.

The man at the door merely looked at him and a cruel smile emerged from the dark ski mask he was wearing over his face.

"That's funny because your bitch didn't say the same thing down stairs."

There was a very dangerous silence as I saw my dad take in what the man said. It was a thick silence that made me hold my breath, what seemed like hours later from the anticipation and before I could even remember to breathe again I saw my daddy lunge towards the man, fist raised high. That was when I heard that sound, that sound that made me grit my teeth and flinch from the loud intensity.

**That** sound

Not the good kind of boom that you see when there are fireworks or when you're playing on the drums. The bad kind, the extremely bad kind that made me cover my ears in fear of them exploding, the kind that nightmares were made of. That sound that made the boogieman seem completely unreal, the kind that made my eyes widen and pop.

Daddy, _my _daddy, my daddy the one that could make all your worries go away and unintentionally brighten your day… was blown away by a single noise that could rival the thunderstorms in the deep summer.

That was not it as I looked closely; I could see the metal item that had made that sound. I could feel the warmth of something, something very warm as it sprayed onto the closet door and onto my face in a thick liquid that I was thought was hot water.

'Where' I thought, 'had the hot water come from?' I watched my daddy slump to the ground like a saddened pile of potatoes in extreme summers' heat. 'Was my daddy sleeping?' I thought quietly to myself just like daddy had asked and I realized I was his brave girl, always listening to him. I smiled brightly to myself as I lightly touched what I thought what was warm water on my face. It felt oddly slippery as I brought that substance to my face.

My smile slowly faded when I realized that this, this substance was not as clear as water should be and I slowly rubbed my two small fingers together feeling that slipperiness as a frightening realization overcame me.

I studied this slippery wetness in the resplendent moonlight that granted me small illumination in the pitch black dark that was me in the very small closet. As I heard the thief go through my parents drawers like time was failing him, I felt my eyes widen and I saw that this water was not as translucent as it should be, instead it was a bright crimson red. This red was as red as the blood that clung to my knees as it scraped the ground at the playing fields.

I had remembered that daddy always patched my knees up with 'Dora the explorer' bandages. As I cried from the pain that it gave me, daddy was always smiling and told me that I had to be brave.

Now as I sat in this sliver of moonlight I could see that I was no longer the brave little girl that daddy asked me to be, instead I was everything but, what my daddy asked me to be. I was fearful, because this was _blood_, so unlike the blood I was used to from falling from the swings and slides. This blood was thick and hot, and I felt myself slip quickly into the darkness that was blacker than in the closet.

This blood was my daddy's blood…

* * *

When I had awoken there were people and I was no longer in my home. Those people had explained what happened and I could feel then extreme numbness had taken over me at that point. Even though I was seven and small and not very wise to what was going on, I could feel that my daddy and mommy were no longer here.

From there my pain never stopped, even as the government of my country had assigned me to new parents, I could still feel the numbness that threatened to turn me into a person I never was. An unhappy, sad, distant type of person and yet those things sought to overcome me, I never let them.

The day when my parents died I became a new person, the person daddy could be proud of, his brave little person. Though, through the years I never really understood what happened, I couldn't and didn't stop myself from becoming all daddy said I was. I wasn't until I turned thirteen, that I truly understood what happened to my family. Pain couldn't even begin to explain what I was feeling. It was like a surge of lost panic and comfort, I lost my daddy forever. When they, those surrogates took me in, I had never felt so alone. They were cold and didn't seem like they had cared about what happened. They thought that buying things could blot out the pain like grape juice on a paper napkin. I often got gifts which ranged from nice clothes, shoes, and jewelry.

My surrogates lived in Austin, Texas and I had to pack up and leave my little town. I barely said good-bye to the residents that lived beside me because I was in such a distraught state. When they came to get me from the airport, conversation was kept to a minimum and was often filled with an akward silence. I could tell that these people didn't really spend time together like my close knit family did.

The surrogates had a lush lifestyle, with extravagant cars and very nice things. They had a very large three story house, five rooms, four and a half bathrooms and a large pool that was located outside. The house was made of pastel colored yellow brick and sat on a large freshly manicured lawn and surrounded with petunias and daisies. Inside was filled with nice little trinkets and had a beautiful kitchen that had white marble counters which were nicely cool in the extreme heat. Cherry wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and nice wooden floors. The house had high ceilings and flat screened TVs', genuine leather couches and slim silver laptops everywhere. The rooms were lavish and contained silk sheets, more flat screened television sets large bathrooms with waterfall sinks and large bath tubs with crystal clear shower doors.

My room was on the last wing of the hall.

I had one overly large bed with dark blue satin sheets and dark red comforter that had gold detailed trees stitched into it. It had one plasma television set and a playstation 3 gaming system with all of the latest games (even though I rarely played anything besides Kingdom Hearts and Black Ops).

The room had deep brown wooden floors which had dark blue fluffy rugs beside my bed and computer desk. The computer desk was a dark cherry red as was the rest of the furniture. One very expensive desktop computer sat alone on a clean surface. A small book shelf stood off to the side of the computer desk, filled with mostly foreign language reading material.

One large dresser and vanity stood to the left of my room pushed up against the wall closest to my bed. On top of it were lots of smell good lotions and very nice perfumes, a cherry wood jewelry box filled with necklaces, bracelets, and rings was neatly next to all of the different makeup that I owned.

The bathroom was expansive and had a glittery red waterfall sink faucet. The counters were a dark yellow color made completely out of marble. The bathroom had one shower with a massaging shower head. It was large enough that two people could lie down horizontally and still have room. It was filled with different soaps and shampoos that had all kinds of scents from almond to my favorite pomegranate, which was almost empty. Deep conditioners stood off to the side and were organized alphabetically.

Even though this house was really grand and I was grateful for all the nice things that I had, I couldn't help but think that this was not home.

My surrogates were rarely home, always working. My uncle was a renowned layer and my aunt owned her own hair salon that was doing very well. They often spent nights away, going to nice fancy restaurants instead of eating home cooked meals. It took me a while to get used to this lifestyle and their expectations, but the ten years that I lived here I learned well enough.

I had one cousin and she was really pretty but very spoiled.

Sandra was her name, standing at 5'8 she had long dirty blonde waves stopping just above her chest and framed a perfectly tan face.

She had beautiful honey hazel eyes that had green flecks surrounding her iris, I had realized that her eyes resembled my mothers and when I had first met her I almost felt myself become attached to her. Dark brown lashes really made her eye color pop.

Pouty pink lips and a small nose fit her perfectly and she was very skinny with a small waist. She was gorgeous and standing next to her made me look plain in comparison.

I resembled my dad alot. I was 5'3 and had dark brown curls that fell just below my elbows, wide dark brown eyes that were framed with endless black lashes. Slightly tanned skin from the Texas sun was still lighter than most of the people around here. I was a small thing and I usually kept to myself, where Sandra was very popular and all the guys wanted to be with her. I could understand why on certain level which were her looks, though I couldn't understand based on her personality. She was as I stated before very spoiled and extremely vain. I tried to stay away from her most of the time because she was really annoying.

Speaking of annoying she was currently talking my ear off at the moment, most of the time I tried to ignore her, but ever since I came into her parents' custody she has brought my self-esteem down little by little. "I don't know why you don't dress a lil' better, especially since I have to be seen with you. A lil' more make up wouldn't hurt you either." She stated to me in her southern drawl as we walked to her cherry red convertible. It was The last school day of the week and extremely hot, can you say TGIF?.

Sandra was wearing a dark blue strapless romper that hung closely to her skinny figure and black frilly sandals that showed off her great legs. Her hair was perfectly wavy and free falling over her shoulders. Her makeup consisted of a golden bronzer that lightly dusted her cheeks, which made her skin practically glow, dark coral lipstick and a light golden eye shadow.

She was as gorgeous as always and I was as plain as could be next to her. I wore tan shorts, a black t-shirt, and black flat sandals. My makeup was simple with black mascara and clear lip gloss.

I was wearing two red bangles on my left wrist for a pop of color and two black ball earrings in both of my ears for each piercing(I had two in each ear). My hair was pulled into a large bun on top of my head. When I was getting ready this morning, I thought that I looked pretty good. As I look at Sandra though, I could see that I didn't even hold a torch to her.

I rolled my eyes, I had heard this lecture from her one to many times before and I was content on ignoring her for as long as I could. I popped the ear buds to my iPod into my ears, and scrolled down the list to my favorite band Three days grace. I hit shuffle and let the sexy voice of Adam Gontier lull me into a complete state of obliviousness. We were on our way to school and today was a very exciting day for me, because today in my foreign language class my teacher was finally going to announce something I have been waiting so long for.

I have been working hard since I was 14, studying and practicing the Japanese language to my very best I ability. I had bought every book I could and spent countless hours, self-teaching myself what I could whenever I wasn't in class and I'm not half bad if I do say so myself. I had been interested in the language for as long as I could remember. It started when one time my surrogates had taken me to a really cool Japanese restaurant for my birthday where they used chopsticks instead of forks. I guess it kind of started from there.

* * *

Sooner than I knew it, we had made it to Carrabelle Senior High school. The school had a lot of money so everything was really nice and I really couldn't complain about that. The only thing I couldn't stand was the students that attended it who were stuck up materialistic people. The school's population was around 3500 and it was massive. It was built with a red brick and had glass windows all around, 5 floors filled with classrooms, one large lunchroom where different cliques usually mingled and a great sized court yard where people could eat outside if they wanted to. It's where I usually went with two of my closest friends.

There were a total of seven playing fields which were individual fields for football, soccer, lacrosse, baseball, field hockey, golf, and tennis. There were two outdoor tracks, and two indoor tracks. Inside we had two large gyms where one contained two indoor pools for the swimming teams which were defending state champions six years in a row. The other gym is where we usually have our physical education classes. This in fact was my first class for the day.

As I walked to my locker, located on the third floor, I had to pass by a clique of jocks and cheerleaders, yeah I know it's so cliché but that's just how it was down here. The cheerleaders were dressed in their uniforms sporting our school colors of teal and orange for the homecoming game tonight which I was not going to tonight, I have absolutely no school spirit.

The jocks were all wearing their football school jerseys, Varsity wore orange and junior varsity wore teal. It was the same for the cheerleaders as well, I personally thought that their uniforms were a little too inappropriate. Their uniforms were a high neck halter top like thing with long sleeves and a short mini skirt that had no pleats and was not unlike the in style bandage skirt.

Usually I would just keep walking to my locker and ignore these pathetic excuses for people. Something, however, made me stop and start my blood rising.

"Isn't she just pathetic? Look at those jelly roles! Ha! Here's a thought, maybe a little less fried Twinkies and a little more jogging?" The head cheerleader of the Junior varsity team said to a girl. This girl had short mousy dark brown hair and olive green eyes. She wasn't the skinniest girl; she wore a Star Galactica T-shirt and dark blue wash jeans and plain black tennis shoes.

She shakily pushed her glasses farther up her stubby nose, I saw her pink nose ring twinkle a bit in the fluorescent lighting. She looked as if she were going to cry, as the clique laughed together. I looked at her and felt a rage build inside myself, this girl is my _best_ friend.

"Hey fuck wads! Back your boosie asses away from Darla!" I angrily yelled and the laughter stopped. Flipping her hair away from her face the junior varsity head captain looked at me with a clear disdain for who I was.

"Oh look, it's her little girlfriend to save the day, best watch who you're talking to bitch.

" If I wasn't so angry I would've laughed at her little threat. I stepped right into her face, hands on my hips and a pissed little smirk was already itching the sides of my mouth.

"Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to. A fifteen year old spoiled little cow that can't do anything right besides lay on her back. What's that I see? Is that your ribs poking out? Perhaps instead of talking shit about someone, maybe you need to eat a little more instead of puking after every little grape you swallow."

The smirk was out and I watched with unhidden amusement at her sputtering face. Darla quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me towards my locker at the end of the hallway.

"That was amazing! You were so bad ass looking Ali!" Darla exclaimed with bright olive eyes.

"It's no biggie, how are you?" I asked her, smiling at her enthusiasm. From behind her I could see the clique dispersing and the junior varsity head captain send me a glare before walking away.

"I'm okay, you know how Christa is…" she said with a little sadness creeping into her usually spunky eyes. I gave he a reassuring little smile and patted her gently on the back.

"Don't worry about her, in ten years she'll have nothing but her cheerleading suit from this year and anyways a person like that won't really get far. All things personality considered." I said to her while opening my locker and getting the things I would need today.

She smiled "Yeah, you're right. Thanks again Ali, you're a great friend." "I know." I said back and we laughed as we walked to gym together.

* * *

To say that gym was horrible would be an understatement.

Today we had to do weight training and my body is killing me, Coach Jefferson made my class do 75 leg squats and made me bench press twice my weight in the weight room. He is a hard teacher to deal with because he's constantly stuck in the mind frame that he's training us to become the world's best sport's team. I don't even think he knows or cares that we're not on any sports team. If you're in my class then you should know that giving up is not an option. It would only earn you twice the work and ten times the pain. I should know firsthand because I was stopping to take a break and he made me do 75 more leg squats and 24 more bench presses.

The first half of the day passed by in a blur and sooner than I knew it, I found myself in the lunch room. A boy with light blonde hair that was cut in a spiky style and baby blue eyes waved to me. I smiled, that was my second best friend Tommy, he was way gorgeous but he didn't seem to notice. Girls would usually swoon over him and everyday some random girl would come and try to ask him out. I liked him as a person because he wasn't bent up over something as skins deep as looks were concerned. The other reason was because we were all anime freaks, every day we would sit in the court yard and talk about the latest anime titles and episodes.

"Hey Tom" I said to him as we met up just outside of the courtyard doors.

"Hey Ali, are you excited about what Mrs. Oki has to announce today?" I had almost forgot and I felt myself do mental back flips at the excitement.

"Hell yeah, I'm so excited and I can't wait for what she has to say, I've been working really hard on my speech."

He nodded a small smile on his face. "I've noticed, you're speech has gotten way better and there's barely an accent."

Just then Darla came up and pulled out a stack of manga grinning widely. "I've got the old Inuyasha manga, I figured we could go in and talk about all the sexiness that Inuyasha is!" I could almost hear Tommy roll his eyes at us.

"No, I way! Everyone knows that Sesshomaru is way better looking than Inuyasha could ever dream of being!" I stated loudly and from there, the conversation blasted off.

Lunch passed by quickly and I found myself sitting in my seat of Mrs. Oki's classroom.

Her classroom was neatly decorated with different trinkets from japan. I often caught myself looking at those things instead of paying attention. My favorite thing was the little Buddha that sat on her front desk. It was made out of green jade and was really beautiful. The details were carved just right and I always smiled at the little Buddha's permanent joyful smile.

The class soon filled in and Mrs. Oki was in the front of the class teaching and reviewing what we had learned all week. I found myself zoning out and wondered what her announcement could be. I had practically stayed up all night, I barely got any sleep and I could feel myself dosing off.

* * *

I found myself in a dark room, only lit by the sliver of moonlight that came from the window like a magic white ray. I looked around but I couldn't see much, the only thing that was visible was the teacher's desk with that small jade Buddha smiling at me and a seat behind it. I saw that I was still sitting in my student desk. As I looked at the jade Buddha, I wondered how I got here. I could feel a panic rising up as I remembered that I was in Mrs. Oki's class.

Suddenly I felt as if I wasn't alone in this dark place. I heard the light tap of high heeled shoes from the darkness and I wondered if there was a black out or something similar because I didn't remember it.

It was too quiet to be a black out or I would've heard the excited chatters of my classmates. I could hear the tapping of the heeled shoes get louder and I began to panic, I tried to stand but I realized that I couldn't move. I looked to my hands and saw that I wasn't bound, so how was it that I couldn't move?

"There's nothing to be afraid of Ali." I heard a voice whisper directly next to my ear and I jumped in my seat, my heart doing frantic beating in my chest.

I attempted to turn my head to see the person behind me, but there was no one. As I turned back to the front I came face to face with someone, I almost peed myself. The person in question merely laughed a loud ringing laugh. When they were finished, I could see that this person was female.

She was tall and skinny with perfect alabaster skin and short deep crimson tendrils that fell just below her ears. Her eyes were a frightening white color, and I almost gasped if I could talk, which I found that I could not.

She wore a very skimpy black outfit that showed a lot of leg and she was certainly proud of her legs because she seemed to be flaunting them as much as she could. She took a seat right in front of me behind the desk, crossed her legs and folded her hands. I saw that she wore deep red pumps.

"Now Ali, you may not know where you are" she said gesturing to the place that we were both sitting.

"There is something that I would like to offer you, something that could change your life forever."

I looked at her with a clear confusion of what she was talking about. She must have been the one that staged this bizarre act. I was getting really irritated in not being able to move and I could feel my patience wearing thin.

'_What the hell do you want lady?'_ I wanted to ask her, but I couldn't speak.

"Oh it's not what I want Ali, it's what I have to offer you."

At first I was a little more than freaked out that she knew what I was thinking, but I could feel the curiosity of the meaning of her words get to me.

'_What is it that you have to offer?'_ I tried to ask her.

"It's something that could change everything that you know, something exciting and new. It's what you've wanted for the longest." She stated, red lips parting in a strange grin.

'_What do you mean? How do you know what I want?'_ I thought. I was aware that somehow she could hear me.

"I know everything about you Ali, and all you have to do is sign on the dotted line." She snapped her fingers and with a small burst of fire a piece of paper appeared.

'_Nice magic trick'_ I thought to myself.

She seemed to hear it because her smile faltered a little.

"I can guarantee you something new and amazing, something that could take you away from the superficial ways of what you know now. I can promise you a new future, unlike anything you've ever seen before. All you have to do is sign here" she said as a perfectly painted fingernail grazed the dotted line on the paper.

_'Even if I did want something new, who's to say you're not some twisted woman who likes tying helpless people up?'_

She laughed a twinkle in her eyes "I assure you that's not what this is, what could you lose by signing? If I am lying, then you have nothing to worry about." Her smirk never once left her face and I could feel myself grow uneasy.

_What's the catch?_ I asked non verbally, catching on that she can somehow hear me.

"There is no catch, just your signature will suffice." She snapped again and the paper was in front of me.

As I read the words I could feel my doubt rising. Who is this woman and why did she want me to sign? I rolled her words over in my head

_If I'm lying, what's the worst you could lose?_

Nothing.

There wasn't anything I could lose. I picked up the pen that had magically appeared next to me and saw that it was simply a quill pen. I positioned the pen against the paper.

I hesitated, who's to say what can happen just by trusting her? _Who's to say what couldn't?_ A small voice whispered inside my head.

With high doubt I scribbled my name _Alice Marie Evian_ in a cursive sprawl

Suddenly the pen disappeared as well as the contract which went up in a small burst of flames. I gasped and jumped in my seat.

"Excellent, you should know that this contract is forever and is unbreakable. It is binded to your soul, for as long as you shall live I'm pleased to say that you're new life starts now." With that, she was gone. She literally just vanished.

* * *

I awoke with a gasp and found that I was sweating. Looking around the room I could see that I was still in Mrs. Oki's class, and it seemed like only seconds went by because she was still teaching.

_' What was that?' _I thought to myself.

It was so strange. Seeing as nothing had changed, I assumed it was a dream and pushed it to the back of my head.

"Class, I have some very exciting news!" Mrs. Oki stated and the class settled down so she could make her announcement.

"As you all know, every two years, we send a student of ours to Tokyo, Japan."

I looked up, interested in what she was saying an I could feel the excitement from earlier coming back to me.

"It has been decided that someone in this class will be the lucky student to study at our sister school for two years."

The class erupted into loud cheers, but I could feel the anticipation tickle at my insides.

What if I don't get picked?

I had worked so hard for this, and I would be crushed if it wasn't me who was chosen. I chewed on my bottom lip, a bad habit I tend to do when I'm nervous.

"I would like to congratulate Ms. Alice Evian on being the student that will be going to Tokyo this year."

I was shocked; I didn't think that I would be chosen. All modesty aside, I usually have bad luck when I get excited for things. I could feel my heart beat a little bit faster as I felt an immense feeling of joy and relief. Ms. Oki walked up to me and handed me a thick white envelope.

"Once again congratulations, everything you need to know is in that envelope."

* * *

When I got home, I immediately went into my room. I told Darla and Tommy the news and they were both happy for me. They said that they would miss me but they would be there at the airport to see me off.

I quickly changed out of my street clothes and into my pajamas, which consisted of a long white t-shirt and black cotton shorts. I plopped down onto my bed and as I looked at the white envelope I could feel the nervousness creep up on me.

'_What's there to be nervous about'_ I thought to myself, after all it is my future.

Anxiously I tore the envelope open and spilled the contents out onto my fluffy comforter.

The envelope contained an airplane ticket to japan which said that I would be leaving this Sunday at 2:30 am in the morning. I was a bit confused because it was so soon, but I guess it all fit in with the school schedule.

Shrugging my shoulders I glanced at the second thing which was a pamphlet of the school I'd be attending. At first glance the brochure looked really boring because of the color sequence. All, black, white. and tan. As I looked into the pamphlet I easily located the name.

**Meioh Private Academy** was right on top in bold black letters. There was a picture of the school in it and it was even better looking than my school. It also had two students in their uniforms, my nose scrunched up in distaste.

The males wore pink long sleeved jackets with gold trim as well as pink slacks. The female in the picture wore a red attire similar to a sailor uniform, but it was much more stylish. My only problem was the shortness of the skirt, but I admit it was pretty cute style wise. The colors need improvement though. I noticed that both male and female wore dark brown dress shoes.

The uniform was defiantly going to take some getting used to.

Skimming the pamphlet I saw that I had to take the entrance exam, which I did a couple of months ago. It was pretty tough but seeing as I was the one that was chosen to go to their school, it seems as though I did alright.

Something that also went with the whole deal was that I had to keep good scores on everything. Failing more than once will surely get me kicked out of that school. Even though that put a bit of weight on my shoulders, I was determined to do my best. Placing the pamphlet down I picked up the most important piece of paper which told me who I was going to stay with.

_Dear Ms. Evian,_

_I would like to formally congratulate you in being selected to join our school's family. It was a tough decision but based on your scores on the entrance exam, it seems only right that you were chosen. Our staff here at Meioh Private Academy is looking forward to meeting you. We are expecting great things of you. Below is all the information you will need concerning your new foreign family._

_We will be seeing you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Ogasaki, Hanate_

_Family names; _

_Father: Nagari, Kaito_

_Mother: Nagari, Anabe_

_Son: Nagari, Ayame_

_You will be staying with someone who goes to the same school._

_Schedule:_

_1A- Hanari, Algebra II_

_2B- Kono, Japanese studies_

_3A- Kayabe, Advanced Art_

_Lunch _

_4B- Hyame, Chemistry_

_When you arrive, please check in at the office. A guide will show you to your first class._

That was the end of the letter, and with an excited breath I placed everything carefully back in the envelope and sat it on my computer desk. I climbed into bed and with barely any trouble at all, fell into a deep sleep.

Excited for all the packing tomorrow will bring.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**I hope that you all enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. PLEASE please leave a review, because that will determine if I will add the next chapter. I have big ideas for this story and I have already written the next chapter. :)

I would have written this longer but I figured a little teaser would be a great way to start the story off. :]

If I get enough reviews, the next chapter will be longer


	2. Chapter Two

Hey guys, I wanna thank Evalyd Yamazaki for reviewing my first chapter. I know it wan't a great chapter, but I promise it will get better as time goes on. I kind of rushed through this chapter and I'm sorry if it's crappy. I just really wanted to update this, because I'll be busy the next few days. I hope you all enjoy, feel free to point out mistakes and typos and I will be sure to fix them. Also, I will now be taking voting for the pairings. Please leave a review of who you would like to see end up with the Oc. I really didn't want to move so fast into the relationships part, but I want to start the voting. I've already introduced Shuichi, maybe we will see more of the characters pop up into the story (in the next chapter.) I really hope you guys do review even if you don't like the story so much. I need to improve a lot of things which I'm sure I fudged up pretty bad in the first chapter. Hard critiqued reviews are welcomed, please feel free to correct me.

**I DO NOT OWN YUYU HAKUSHO**

* * *

**The Contract**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping.

I was a little groggy but as soon as I remembered what happened yesterday, I was up faster than a kid on Christmas morning.

It all seemed like a dream. As I looked to my computer desk, I searched for the white packet. To my great mirth I saw that it wasn't just a dream. Smiling to my self I slowly stretched, careful not to rush myself. One time I was stretched a little too quickly and I found my self curled on the floor in a ball of pain from an extreme charlie horse. Feeling that I was wide awake, I walked to my bathroom and proceeded to do my morning ritual.  
Which was first showering, I used a bit of my sweet pea shampoo because I figured I would save my favorite pomegranate one for the trip. After I was done I began brushing my teeth in the shower, because I'm cool like that. I followed up by washing my face with a deep cleansing scrub.

I took pride in my clear complexion, it was something Sandra could not best me in. She usually suffered from blemishes which she quickly covers with a bit of concealer. I tried to tell her the only reason she got the blemishes, was because she forgot to wash her face after she had worn makeup. It was no use though, because she didn't listen to her "unstylish country bumpkin cousin".

I was finished with my shower in a little under 25 minutes. Climbing out I grabbed a deep purple cotton towel and proceeded to dry thoroughly. I hated when my clothes stuck to me because my skin was still moist. I stepped up to the large mirror that hanged just above the sink. I grabbed a neutral scented detangler and sprayed it throughout my mass of hair. I picked up my vent brush and began brushing from the ends to the roots.  
My hair was a bit snarled from not using any conditioner and with a little more effort, my hair was completely free of tangles. Stretching out two black scrunchies, I quickly pulled my damp hair into a high ponytail. I walked with a small skip in my step, going towards the dresser where some of my clothes were located. First I slipped on some under ware and then I picked out a peanut brown T-shirt and dark blue capri pants.

As soon as I was finished getting ready for the day, I went down stairs to get some breakfast. I looked at the two grand staircases which had mahogany railings and cool marble steps. The house never seemed hot because of all the marble, not to mention that it was pleasantly cool from the well conditioned air.

When I stepped into the kitchen, I was met with a very odd sight. There she was, my aunt, eating breakfast in the kitchen that was rarely used.

"Uhm, good morning." I said, the shock making me nervous. I had never really seen her still here this time of day and I never had to spend a exposed amount of time with her before. If anything, I'd spent more time with my uncle.

"Good morning Alice," my aunt said to me with a small frown " I take it you slept well?" I studied my aunt, she always seemed like she didn't like me. She resembled my mother so much, every time I saw her I had to remind myself that my mom was gone. If I didn't then I would think she really was my mom.  
She has light copper brown hair that fell to her shoulders in soft layered waves. Her skin was tanned from years of staying in the Texas sun. She was about 5'6, but what she lacked in height she made up in attitude. Her eyes, the ones that Sandra had inherited were a light honey brown with light green specks. Her face had already begun to show small crow's feet just by her eyes. 'Nothing a little Botox couldn't fix.' I thought wryly to myself. She had no laugh lines and that wasn't such a surprise because I had rarely seen this woman laugh.

"Yeah, I did actually." I replied to her.  
"Would you care for some breakfast?" she asked me, gesturing to the stack of waffles and bacon that sat on the table in all their glory. My stomach grumbled as I looked at the all deliciousness that those waffles were. I really didn't want to be in her company for longer than I had to. Besides that fact, I'd usually just grab a breakfast burrito and be on my way but how could I, I mean those were _waffles_.

I nodded and took my place across from her before grabbing myself three waffles and a pile of bacon. Picking up the case of butter and syrup that laid next to the waffles, I began spreading the butter on each waffle.

" You're leaving tomorrow." I looked up at the voice that broke my hungry concentration. It sounded more like a statement than a question.  
"Yeah, I am. I can't wait." I grinned while dousing my buttery cakes in the thick syrup. I got up and went to the drawer that was located by the sink. Opening it, I began fishing for a fork. Once I got back to the table I stabbed my utensil into the steamy mass of tastiness and brought a slice of it up to my lips.

" You're just like your mother."

Frozen in shock, I looked up at my aunt. An ugly glare was directed my way. Suddenly no longer hungry I placed the fork back onto the plate, stood up and walked away from the table.

"I'm not playing these games with you Beth, soon you won't have to worry about anything that I do, because I'll be gone." I could feel the prick of tears starting to form at the base of my eyes but I would never let her see me cry.  
" Good, because I was tired of looking at the ungrateful image of Charlie anyways. Haunting me from the grave." I stopped abruptly in place, my hands clenched in small tight fists at the miss use of my father's name. I turned in a complete about face and stormed up to my aunt Beth, with deep disgust in my face.

"Watch what you say about my dad woman, If you weren't my aunt I'd beat your ass in a split second!" My rage was getting the best of me, I couldn't really control myself when I got this emotional. She simply smiled at me and I was taken back for a moment.  
"I'm glad you feel that way, because I no longer want you here. You'll be eighteen in a couple of months and that means that I will no longer be responsible for you. I want you out of my house in an hour. You no longer have a home here." With that she stood from her place and walked away.

I let out the breath I didn't realize that I was holding. I haven't held a conversation that long with her in the ten years I was here and I knew that she had a dislike for me but I didn't know she felt that strongly. Besides way she felt about me, she had no right to bring up my parents. She was never in our lives before ten years ago, so she had no opinion to place.

'_I have about an hour to pack up and get gone'_ I wasn't about to waste anytime, so I jogged back upstairs into my room. Once I was back in my 'soon to be' old room, I grabbed three of my biggest duffle bags out of my closet. The first one was a pretty deep purple color and I stuffed most of my clothes into it. I also managed to get a lot of my shoes in there as well. The next duffle bag was of a bright yellow color in which I packed the rest of my clothes, my favorite jewelry, and all of my make up.

The last of the bags was black and into it I placed my shampoos, soaps, facial scrubs, conditioners, hair care products, perfumes, and body lotions. After most of the packing was done I grabbed my favorite dark red faux leather tote bag and gently put my favorite stuffed elephant into it. Glancing about my room I noticed that I got all of my treasured items and most needed necessities, going back to the bathroom I placed my toiletries in a plastic ziplock baggie and stuffed that into the tote bag.

I went back into my room and looked at the clock that hung above the doorway which connected to the bathroom. I had used up about 37 minutes of my time so I snatched up my iPod and went to my computer. Plugging in the music player, I downloaded some songs that I recently found I liked. I transferred the music as well as some pictures, when I looked over to my left I realized that I almost forgot to pack my camera. It was last years model but it worked very nicely and I loved it. It was a nice sparkling silver color with barely any scratches, it was pretty. I saw that I only had a few minutes left, so I went to where my bed was. Reaching under the mattress, I grabbed a hold of a wad of cash I had saved since I was 8 years old. I smiled a bitter smile, realizing that it was a lot from all the birthdays and christmases that we never spent as a family should have. There is no better gift to give someone than your time. Gifts can not make up for the time wasted.

I placed my camera and money into the zippered compartment of my tote bag. I finally grabbed my wallet and passport which held all the important information that I would need as a living person off my bed and placed it into another zippered compartment of my tote bag. I picked up my white envelope, iPod, charger, and placed them into the final compartment of my tote bag. Looking around at my nearly bare room, I realized that I wasn't going to miss this place. Nope, not one bit. I lugged all three of my duffle bags down stairs and I was surprised to see that Sandra was waiting for me.

* * *

"Hey, I'm gonna give you a ride to Darleen's house." she said as she flipped her blonde locks. "It's _Darla_, and thanks." I replied as we walked to her cherry red convertible. I threw my bags in the back and got in the front seat of the car. I buckled up and we were on our way. There was a akward silence and I found myself drumming my finger nails against the side of the car. " So you're leaving for Japan, I guess that's cool. If you like sushi…" I almost laughed at her statement.  
"You know, that's not all they eat right?" I asked her.  
"It's the only japanese thing I've eaten before." I smiled a little at her naivety. " Yeah, I guess you don't really have diverse tastes." I stated, humor in my voice.  
" That's because nothing beats chicken and waffles!" She laughed with a little snort. I stared at her for a long while and I could see a small blush of embarrassment forming on her face.  
"Sorry, that was a little un lady like huh?" I shook my head at her, I thought that it made her a little more relatable.  
" Not at all, it was nice to hear that… for a long while I thought you were just perfect." She glanced at me, her hands tightening a little on the steering wheel.

" Look Alice, I know things haven't been the best between us and regardless of how my mom feels about you, I think you're pretty okay. I ain't saying I'll miss you or anything." She said as we pulled into the driveway of Darla's house.

I looked at her a small smile on my face  
" The feeling is mutual, I won't miss you either."  
"Good that you get it." She smiled at me.  
"See ya Sandra." I said as I got out the car and grabbed my bags from the back.  
" Bye Alice, take care." she replied as she backed out and drove off.

I walked up to Darla's front door and rung the door bell. Darla's house was a comfy two floor home. It was painted a soft pale pink color, and was surrounded with bright yellow daisies. It had a dark brown wooden porch which I was standing on, and it had a white swing on it that I loved sitting on. I didn't have time to observe the rest of the house because someone answered the door.

It was Darla's mom, she was a very plump woman with rosy cheeks, short dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. " Hello Alice, it's such a pleasure to see you here! Please come in." She said as she moved to the side to allow me passage. I picked up my bags and walked in, as Darla's mom announced that I was here. " You can go ahead and go to her room" She stated with a bright smile. Nodding I trudged up to her room with all of my bags in tow.

Darla and Tommy were on the floor reading comics when I walked in. It wasn't unusual to see them like this because they were cousins and were together most of the time. "Hey Alice! Me and Tommy were just talking about you." Darla greeted as I placed my bags beside her bed.  
Her room was kept dark on most days because she kept her curtains closed. Her room consisted of a twin bed with bright blue sheets and a pink comforter. She had a mahogany nightstand and a white computer desk where she kept her desk top. I often remembered her playing WoW* on it. A deep pink carpet covered her wooden floor, her room was a comfortable size.

" You were? I hope it wasn't anything bad." I joked. They smiled up at me " Of course it was, you're just full of bad qualities" Tommy joked back. I sat down next to Darla and we began going through the comic books. That's how it went for the rest of the day, I took some pictures of us for memories and sooner than I knew it, it was 11:00 at night.

"Hey Alice, how about a song for old times sake?" Tommy asked as we were preparing to leave for the airport which was two hours away. I glanced at the alarm clock that sat on Darla's nightstand and saw I had about five minutes to spare.

" Sure, no problem. What song did you want to hear?" I asked as I grabbed Darla's guitar that was hidden in her closet.

"How about 'The Ballad of Mona Lisa' by Panic at the disco?" Darla suggested. I smiled and nodded as I sat on her bed. I strummed the guitar making sure it was tuned, which it was after all my years of playing it. I was pretty good with the guitar, piano, and my singing wasn't so bad either though it was nothing about average. I could catch and hold a tune but I was no professional. Even though I was an average musician, music wasn't my forte. No, I was an artist at heart.

I strummed the guitar softly for the opening soon into a faster rhythm. I closed my eyes feeling the notes coming to my mind as I tried to remember. Once I had a hold on the memory, I opened my mouth and began to sing

_She paints her fingers with a close precision_

_He starts to notice empty bottles of gin_

_And takes a moment to assess the sins she's paid for_

_A lonely speaker in a conversation_

_Her words are swimming through his ears again_

_There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for_

My strumming got a bit faster in preparation for the chorus,

_Say what you mean, tell me I'm right_

_And let the sun rain down on me_

_Give me a sign, I want to believe_

The strumming got harder

_Woah, Mona Lisa_

_You're guaranteed to run this town_

_Woah, Mona Lisa_

_I'd pay to see you frown_

_He senses something, call it desperation_

_Another dollar, another day_

_And if she had the proper words to say, she would tell him_

_But she'd have nothing left to sell him_

_Say what you mean, tell me I'm right_

_And let the sun rain down on me_

_Give me a sign, I want to believe_

_Woah, Mona Lisa_

_You're guaranteed to run this town_

_Woah, Mona Lisa_

_I'd pay to see you frown_

_Mona Lisa_

_Wear me out_

_Pleased to please ya_

_Mona Lisa_

_Wear me out_

_Say what you mean, tell me I'm right_

_And let the sun rain down on me_

_Give me a sign, I want to believe_

_Woah, Mona Lisa_

_You're guaranteed to run this town_

_Woah, Mona Lisa_

_I'd pay to see you frown_

_Say what you mean, tell me I'm right_

_And let the sun rain down on me_

_Give me a sign, I want to believe_

_There's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you've paid for_

My hands slowed and the song ended with a soft note. I opened my eyes and saw both Darla and Tommy staring at me with smiles on their faces. I blushed and I felt akward embarrassment . "That was amazing Alice!" Tommy said as he grabbed the guitar from me.

" You have such an amazing voice, I'm jealous." Darla said with a smile still on her face. I smiled back, and glanced towards the clock. "Thanks you guys, but it's time to make our way to the airport" I told them. They stood up and helped me with my bags, when we got down stairs Darla went to go get the keys to her mom's blue honda. When she came back we went outside and put the bags into the trunk. I climbed into the backseat and buckled my seatbelt. As soon as the two of them were ready in the car, we were on our way.

The two hours passed by quickly. Most of it was filled with conversation about the years we spent together, lots of laughter filled the car. I had never been more happy than the times I've been with these two people. They are my best friends and no amount of distance or time was going to change that. We've been through a lot and without them I would have never come to cope with the pain I felt inside. A little was still there of course even with the love of their friendship, I felt that I was missing something. Something very important and without it I could never be whole. I just couldn't, for the life of me, figure out what it was.

When we arrived at the airport they helped me get all of my things settled. It was oddly empty and a bit eery. They waited with me until it was time to board my plane. This was it, the moment of goodbyes and new beginnings. As I turned to them I felt the tears start to fall and we enveloped each other into a three way hug. " We'll miss you Ali…" Darla cried.

" Yeah good luck Ali, don't forget us." Tommy added in. " Never, I could never forget you guys!" I cried back.

"_Callin' all passengers of flight 103 to Tokyo, Japan. It's now time to board." _A voice said over the loud speaker.

Our hug was cut short and we said our final goodbyes before I turned around and proceeded to walk to my gate. As I did I suddenly felt a _very_ cold chill and a dizziness hit my head. Grasping my forehead I felt as if a cold was coming on. As I looked back I saw that Tommy and Darla were no longer there. Before I had time to analyze this I was ushered by a guard onto the plane.

* * *

13 long hours passed by in a blur, I spent most of it listening to my iPod and sleeping. I had awoken when I heard the pilot announce that we were landing. I re-buckled my seatbelt and when we landed the plane slightly shook. The pilot announced on the speaker that we were clear for leaving the plane. I stood up and stretched slowly, thirteen hours of being on that plane gave me kinks in all kinds of places. I realized that my new life started today, so I hurried off the plane as fast as the hostess would allow me.

When everyone got inside I went straight to the baggage claim and spotted my three duffle bags. I snatched them up and almost fell from the weight of them. I forgot how heavy they were or gotten. I didn't remember them being so heavy before. shrugging my shoulders I set off, on a mission to find my new japanese families. I realized a little too late how _crowded _this place was. I looked for my name, pushing pass people because I was too short to look above them. I spotted my name on a large brown piece of card board and walked as fast as I could to the three people that stood there.

The man had black slicked back hair and a wide nose, he was tall and had an authoritative aura about him. he was wearing a yellow polo shirt and dark brown slacks. The woman that stood beside him had black shoulder length hair and bright brown eyes. She was wearing a long purple skirt and a black button up shirt. The last girl looked to be around my age, but she unlike anything I had really seen in texas or even America. She had long stick straight dark brown hair which she pulled up in pig-tails, had bright purple bows and she was positively tanned. Dark brown eyes were widened by long false lashes and very dark eyeliner. She was visibly texting away on her phone which had tiny frog phone charms. She was wearing a frilly black short skirt and long purple stockings. her feet were clad in long black boots. She wore a dark purple long sleeved sweater and her nails were perfectly french manicured.  
She was a _ganguro_ girl I found to my immense surprise. " Hello I am Alice, but you can call me Ali!" I said in perfect japanese and I bowed to them. The two of the parents bowed back and introduced themselves as Kaito and Anabe. The girl whom I knew now to be Ayame just stated her name. I really wanted to laugh at her because she looked absolutely _ridiculous_ but i figured that would be extremely rude and I didn't want to make a bad first impression to my new family.

After all the pleasantries were exchanged Kaito helped me with my bags. The air outside was a bit nippy but we were soon situated in their car and they drove us to their house. I was caught up in the sceneries of all the people and places we passed by. It was all so different here, it even smelled different. When we had arrived I found myself taking in my new home. It was traditionally styled like any japanese home with tile roof and wooden, except it was huge. It had a stone drive way and the bottom of the house was wrapped in stone as well. it had a iron gate which Kaito had to open to get through. It was a lovely home. When we got out of the car and entered the house, we all removed our shoes.

Kaito helped me bring my things into the house and upstairs to my new room. It was quite spacious and had a large bed pushed up against the the far right which was covered with pale blue sheets. It was beside a huge beautiful window which had a great view of the garden in the backyard. I had a nice sized wardrobe and a wide desk. There were also two dressers that were empty. I had a very spacious closet which had a sliding door. The floor was a well polished light brown wood. I had my own bathroom which was all white, so white intact that it hurt my eyes. It definitely needed some color ASAP. I guess these people had a lot of money.

The furniture looked really expensive. On my bed was the high school uniform and as I examined, it was almost the exact same as in the pamphlet except it was a dull maroon color which I could work with. I began unpacking my clothes, I placed all of my dresses and skirts into the wardrobe. The rest of my clothes I placed into the remaining dressers. I saw that I really needed to go shopping for winter clothes because I lacked them. In sunny Texas there was no need for winter clothes. I only really owned about four thin zip up sweater jackets.

After I was done packing I went down stairs in search of the kitchen. I was really hungry because I haven't eaten anything in practically two days. The house was very spacious and very well kept. I hoped that my American ways didn't leave bad impressions. I had to remember that things were very different here and I had to mind my manners. Upon entering the kitchen a wide varieties of delicious smells hit my nose. My eyes were rewarded with a table filled with japanese foods, some things I recognized but most I didn't. I saw that all three of the Nagara family were sitting at the table, they haven't eaten yet and I assumed that they were waiting for me. I took a seat across from Ayame.  
" Wow, this all looks so very good. Do you guys normally eat like this?" I asked with a grin on my face.  
" No, actually it's for you. We did't know what you would like so I prepared most of what I thought you might like." Anabe replied with a small smile on her face.  
Kaito looked amused and Ayame looked bored. Kaito picked up a bowl of rice and began eating. As did Anabe and Ayame, upon seeing this, I politely said _itadakimasu _and began eating. The food was delicious and because I was so hungry I ate almost all of it. I only stopped when I heard Kaito laughing, when I looked up I saw that Anabe looked very well pleased and Ayame just looked disgusted. I almost laughed, _almost_. I always had a big appetite and I would eat almost anything, I had an almost bottomless pit. I bet that if I entered a food eating contest I would win no problem.

I politely apologized but Anabe said it was fine and began to gather the dishes that were finished. Both Kaito and Ayame retired to bed while I helped Anabe clear the table and wash the dishes, I also placed any uneaten food in the refrigerator after wrapping it with plastic wrap. Anabe was really happy that I was so helpful and polite and she said that I should get to bed because I had school in the morning. I more than willingly obliged and as I went upstairs to my new room I was excited for what the next day would bring.

* * *

I woke up around 5am to Anabe shaking me gently. She said that I had to be ready by 6 because school starts at 6:30am. When I heard that I quickly ran to my bathroom, took a 20 minute shower and did my daily routine. I made sure I scrubbed my face and deep conditioned my hair which made it easier to brush through. I let my hair hang loose and they laid in long pretty spiral curls that I quickly applied mousse in so it would stay that way. I pushed the right side of my hair over to the left and tousled it a little. It was really cute. I quickly put on my school uniform and I noticed that the skirt was really short. '_Good thing I shaved my legs' _I took five minutes to apply a small coat of mascara, a bit of blush and a shiny coat of lip gloss to my lips. Seeing as I looked presentable I grabbed my schoolbag and noticed that four note books, pens, and pencils were provided for me. I snatched up my I pod and jogged downstairs to the kitchen. " Good morning Ari-san." I blinked slowly realizing that pronouncing the l in my name must be hard. Ari didn't sound too bad anyways, even though it meant ant in japanese.

" Good morning Anabe-san." I greeted back as I grabbed a piece of toast and gobbled it down. She looked at the clock and practically pushed me out the door, at the same time placing a small bento box into my bag for lunch. I didn't know where Ayame was and I had no idea how to get to the school, so I just followed a group of students that were wearing the same uniform as me.  
I popped in my earbuds and listened to a bit of Fall Out Boy. I tried really hard not to sing out the lyrics of the song _'sugar we're going down' _but it was difficult so I opted to hum instead. One of the girls turned around and stared at me. Her friend stopped as well and they both came up to me.  
" Hello! My name is Mitsume and this is Akiko, You must be the new exchange student?" Mitsume asked excitedly. Mitsume had long black hair that reached her mid bock and dark brown eyes. She wore glasses and was a little taller than me by an inch and a half. Akiko had dark brown hair that reached her neck in a very strict-like bob. Her eyes were a lighter brown and she was the same height as Mitsume, they were both pretty. I stared at her for a good while before answering her.

" Uhm, yeah I am actually, My name is," I paused for a moment deciding whether or not I should just tell them to call me Ari. I figured since they were smart, they would be able to pronounce my name. " Alice." I continued.  
"Ari-ize?" the girl I presumed to be Akiko butchered out. I sighed and waved my hands across my face in an attempt to diminish the whole act.  
" Hey, just call me Ari." I smiled at them. They seemed to like this and smiled back also. We walked the rest of the way to school together. I learned a lot about them, Mitsume was caption of the track team and Akiko was class representative of the second years. Akiko didn't seem as strict as I would've thought a class representative was. I assumed they were quite popular because many people stopped to acknowledge them.

"Is there anything I should worry about here?" I asked them jokingly. They looked to each other both sharing a look.

"Ari-san, what kind of guys are you attracted to?" Mitsume asked me with a serious face.

" What kind of question is that?" I was confused and the randomness of the question creeped me out a little bit.

" Just answer, it could help you in the long run." Akiko replied. " I don't really know how to answer that. I'm really not interested in dating anyone right now." I answered honestly.

Mitsume and Akiko studied me briefly before turning to each other.  
" Do you think we should tell her?" Mitsume asked Akiko her face borderline serious. Akiko glanced at me with a strange look on her face. I'm not very good at reading faces but the way her face was at that moment, I almost felt a sort of foreboding. Mitsume walked up to me and placed a hand onto my shoulder in almost a comforting gesture.

" Ari-san there are girls who are very crazy in this school. The only advice I can give you is to watch who your heart choses, if any." I almost considered on shoving her off of me and running, the way she was saying everything made me think she was some sort of strange fortune teller. She was defiantly starting to creep me out. I patted her hand that was still on my shoulder  
" Mitsume-san, Akiko-san, I'm very capable in handling anything that comes my way. Please do not worry about me." I somewhat asked in hopes of them moving away from the subject. Mitsume looked somewhat relieved and removed her hand. We then proceeded to walk through the school gates.

The school looked just like it did in the pamphlet except there were a lot more students. It was way bigger than my old school and I was starting to really feel like a small fish in a big pond. As I walked through with Mitsume and Akiko I could feel people staring at me but I tried not to shy away. One thing I was not looking forward to was unwanted attention. I'm not very good in large crowds especially when so many people were staring. I noticed that many already had cliques which I guess was more like back at my old school and I almost smiled. Maybe adjusting in this school will be a bit easier. I noticed that there were a lot of girls surrounding something and I could feel my curiosity peaking. What the hell were they doing? It sounded like a rock concert the way they were squealing and all talking at once. I figured it was none of my business though and I asked Akiko if she could take me to the office.

When I got to the office Akiko sat down and waited for me in one of the burgundy cushioned chairs that were abundant there. I walked up to one of the office ladies and showed her my acceptance letter and told her my name.

" Welcome to Meioh private academy, Evian-san. I will sign you in and you can be on your way. I hope you enjoy your stay here. Fugumi-san will show you to your first class." The woman smiled and gestured towards Akiko. I thanked her while Akiko gathered her things. " What class do you have? I'll have to take you quickly because I have to be in mine early." I nodded, remembering that she was class rep  
" I have class 1-A with Hanari-san." She looked mildly surprised and told me that we had the same class together. She seemed a bit relieved that she wouldn't have to rush and we walked to class. When we arrived I saw there were a total of 35 desks and I was interested how my class mates would behave. In my old school, there were only 25 desks per class and they were filled with loud teenagers who talked about a variety of things. Remembering some of these things I had overheard had made me involuntarily shudder.

I noticed that besides myself and Akiko there were two other students in the classroom. One was a girl with shoulder length dark brown hair dressed in the dark maroon uniform. I couldn't see her face because she was talking to someone and as I looked to the one she was talking to, I silently gasped.  
This person was strangely gorgeous, he was far more good-looking than anything I have laid eyes on before. He was tall, standing at about 5'7 and had long dark auburn hair that was tied back into a low ponytail. His bangs covered his forehead and the deep red color of them made his deep ever forest green eyes stand out. I thought that his features were strange for a japanese person, but everything looked completely natural on him. He didn't look like he dyed his hair or wore contacts, I even knew that wasn't allowed in a school as prestigious as this. He had a tad bit of feminine features but his broad shoulders and adams and slim muscular physic quickly squashed that thought.

His strong set jaw and narrow nose made him look so very model like and I didn't doubt that he may have gotten offers. He had milky skin and dull pink lips that looked so very nice and I could feel myself gulp.  
I wondered how soft they would be if mine were press- "Ah!" I gasped, my hormones were really acting up by giving me strange thoughts. I felt a bit promiscuous in the sense that I had never thought or almost thought about something like that in my life. The pair of them looked my way and I quickly bowed and apologized.

" I'm sorry if I interrupted you guys, I'm just… uh really fascinated with everything your school is, it's really different from mine…" I felt as if I was babbling and I apologized again. The girl merely walked away with a sad face and tears threatening to spill from her dark eyes. The boy looked at me with an auburn eyebrow raised. I saw that what lay on his desk was a letter, it was unopened and to my horror I realized that I might have ruined that girl's confession to this guy.  
The bell saved me as students quickly rushed in followed by who I assumed to be Ms. Hanari. She was an elderly woman who looked like she played no games, she was about my height and her hair was pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head. She was wearing a tan skirt suit and a royal blue blouse underneath, she seemed quite composed.

The students quickly took their seats, some of them looked at me. The second bell rung and Akiko took her place in front of the teachers desk.  
" Stand please." She asked and everyone stood. I found that it was a bit too quiet and I shifted my feet feeling quite awkward.  
"Bow please" Akiko said and everyone bowed soon after she told them that they may sit. Akiko walked to her seat which was located on the first row and last desk, she gave me an encouraging smile on her way. I must've looked as awkward as I felt because I think she noticed. I could hear some people muttering and a few girls giggling. I could feel their eyes on me and a warm blush was rising from my neck to my cheeks. As I stated before, I don't do well with crowds.

Ms. Hanari cleared her throat and addressed me to the class. " This is the new exchange student from America, she will be with us for the next two years. Jikoshoukai." She stated and took a seat behind her desk. This meant that I now had to introduce myself  
" Hello," I waved uncomfortably. " My name is Evian, Alice. If you can't pronounce my name please don't hesitate to call me Ari!." I added enthusiastically. I saw some students wave back and smile at me.

" I am seventeen and my hobbies include reading, art and music. My favorite subject is chemistry and I really like japan so far, it's a really beautiful country." I finished and I saw some students smile appreciatively and others just looked curious. Ms. Hanari nodded  
" very good, please take a seat next to Hideo." The boy raised his hand with a small smile on his face and I saw he wasn't bad on the eyes either. He was good looking with light brown hair that was cut into a short boyish style and fell over his light brown eyes. His skin was a slight tan color and even in the pink uniform he looked very good. I didn't mind having to sit behind him at all. He was good to look at even if I was supposed to be focusing on the lesson.  
I noticed that the red head sat behind me and I grew nervous as I walked to my seat. If I didn't focus on him too much then maybe I would be alright.

I was wrong though because I was constantly reminded all throughout the remainder of class that he was behind me. If you were wondering it was from all the constant giggling and staring directed his way. At first I was feeling strange because I thought they were looking at me, I thought I had something on my face. I observed them after a while and realized they were staring at him. If I was him I'd be pretty annoyed with all the attention and though people did continue to look at me every once in a while, it wasn't as bad as what he was receiving. I was a little bit perturbed by some of the stares he was getting from two boys in particular but I did not dwell on it.

* * *

Class was over in a torturous hour and half, I thanked who ever it was that saved me from that embarrassment that was Algebra. I searched for my next class which was japanese studies. When I found it I noticed that classes were separated by levels. For example all level A classes were located on the top floor as opposed to all level C classes which were located on the first floor. I had to travel to the second floor because my next class was a level B. I figured that navigating my way in and out of school wouldn't be too hard.

The classroom was decorated with different japanese items. There were helmets that looked as if they had belonged to warlords of different times, there were different wardrobe that looked as if they dated back to the Edo period. They ranged from striped yukata's and haiori's, there were also different types of fans that decorated the walls in different types of art. I was almost amazed at everything, I felt as if I was living in a dream. Mr. Kono was a very interesting person, he was really funny and I found that I enjoyed this class more than Algebra by far. He told me to introduce myself as well but I felt a lot more comfortable. He sat me in the back which I was grateful for. I smiled on my way to my seat when I saw that Hideo was also in this class, he smiled back at me and waved slightly. This class passed by way too fast and I felt myself sadden because it was so fun. We spent most of the time laughing as Mr. Kono demonstrated the way of the samurai.

My next class was Advanced art with Mr. Hanabe and it was a level A class so I had to go back upstairs. As I was walking through the hall way I saw the red head again and he was accompanied by seven girls who were all pestering him about something. I noticed that Ayame was one of them and I visibly shuddered when I realized that those girls were all ganguro. Ayame defiantly looked the most normal out of the majority of them and that was saying something. I quickly made it to my class with time to spare. I didn't want to stay out in the hallway longer than I had to, for fear of the girl's thick makeup floating over to me and attacking me.

Mr. Hanabe was a gentle old man who also made me introduce myself and sat me to the far left side of the classroom. His room smelled of acrylic paint and charcoal and I loved it. It reminded me of the long hot summers that were Texas. I often spent days in my surrogates home painting and sketching the petunias and daisies that I could see from beyond my window. Mr. Hanabe gave the class a project that was to be completed within the next week. We had to create a three foot paper mache item that represented something that inspired us. He assigned us partners and we were to immediately begin but I noticed my partner wasn't here at the moment. I told Mr. Hanabe this and he smiled at me.  
" That is quite alright Evian-san, Shuichi is capable enough in catching up. If you would like to, you may just sketch up some ideas and when he is present you can decide to use them or not to." I nodded and pulled out a piece of paper from my brown school bag. I began doodling different things from the petunias I used to paint to the thunderstorms I loved to watch and listen to on the days that were so hot it had to rain.

I lost myself in thought and I barely noticed when someone took a seat next to me.

" Hello my name is Minamino,Shuichi, I am your assigned partner for this project." I jumped a bit in my seat when his smooth voice interrupted my thoughts. I could smell him, which was really weird, and he smelled strange like evergreen and something floral. I looked to the owner of the voice and I could feel my eyes widen.

It was him, the gorgeous guy from earlier. I suddenly felt extremely self conscious and wondered how I looked. I scowled when I noticed I wasn't acting like myself every time this guy was around. I decided that just because he was good looking, didn't mean I had to be an idiot. I wasn't trying to impress him anyway, my looks didn't matter. The only thing that mattered now was getting started on this project. Even though I was determined not to let him get the best of me I still felt nervous.

" Hey Shuichi-san, I'm Ari…let's get started, we've already lost a bit of time." I smiled at him. He agreed and asked what were were going to do our project on. I hadn't a clue and I asked him if there was something that inspired him.  
" I often find that gardening gives me time to think and relax. It also helps when I'm trying accomplish something." I looked at him, a little shocked that he liked to garden. I was a little suspicious about his character but even though he was good-looking, smelled pretty and liked to garden I wouldn't judge him so soon.  
" That's pretty cool, I guess we can do something that has to do with flowers? I'm not an expert on gardening or anything but in my old house there were a lot of daisies. Do you have a favorite flower?" I asked him, I secretly also wanted to know a little more about him. He looked at me

" I like every flower but what I mostly prefer is the rose." I noted that he defiantly smelled like roses and I was sort of put off by that. I tilted my head and observed him, he seemed kind of uncomfortable with how I was openly looking at him. I assumed that he must be into guys because he didn't really like being around the girls that followed him around and didn't like when they came close to him. I decided to stick with this assessment because it made it a whole hell of a lot easier to work with him. I smiled at him

" Roses are really pretty, maybe we could do both?" I suggested and he nodded. We worked together for the rest of class in uncomfortable silence until it was time to stop. Mr. Hanabe announced that it was almost time to go so we placed our project in a cubby hole in the back. Shuichi and I only talked about the project and I didn't ask anymore questions about him. I remembered earlier and I decided that I would apologize again for what happened.

" Hey Shuichi- san," He looked at me from his seat beside me. " I'm really sorry for what happened earlier, I didn't mean to interrupt you and that girl." I looked at him with a sincere look. He smiled reassuringly and I felt myself get caught in how wonderful he looked like that. I had to remind myself that he wasn't into girls and I quickly shoved away any thought about his smile.  
" It's alright, don't worry about it." I looked at him and with a quizzical expression I felt I had to ask.  
" Why was she crying? Is she alright?" He suddenly looked very uncomfortable and I felt as though it wasn't my business so I apologized again. We didn't speak anymore after that and soon the bell rung, signaling it was the end of this class.

* * *

I found the lunchroom easily.  
It was huge and was filled with every student that attended this school, it had an open court yard that students could go eat. I headed towards the courtyard and I saw Mitsume and Akiko wave to me from one of the benches. I walked up to them and greeted them happily.

We ate our bentos together and I saw that Anabe made me octopus shaped sausages, sticky rice, some sort of beef with juice and pickled vegetables. It was really pretty and I almost didn't want to eat it but I did. I devoured it and I surprised myself because I didn't even realize I was that hungry. Mitsume and Akiko stared at me in open shock, I was kind of embarrassed but I was so freaking hungry! I looked at their bentos longingly and with puppy dog eyes Mitsume and Akiko offered to share with me.

Even with all of the food I had eaten, I was _still_ hungry and I didn't know why. I had no doubly eaten more than a person my size was capable of and more. I was interrupted out of my pondering by Mitsume and Akiko. It was time for the final class of the day, Chemistry with Ms. Hayame. It was a B- level class so I had to walk back up to the second floor.

Chemistry wasn't as fun as I would have hoped.

Even though it was supposed to be my favorite class back in the states but here it no longer was. The first thing that really sucked was that the teacher was really boring, she had a voice that could literally put you to sleep and I had to stop my eyes from closing more than once. The second thing that was that I had to introduce myself again and I wouldn't have minded but Ayame was in my class.  
I could practically feel her eyes on me and I could feel her dislike for me. I had no idea why she didn't like me but I knew I had to find out why. Normally I wouldn't bother, but if me staying in her house was any motivation. I didn't want there to me dislike between us, it would make my stay here that much harder.

Another thing was we took an extremely long and difficult test. It consisted of all the things I had learned in the states and I had to rack my brain in order to remember everything I learned. I noticed however it wasn't as hard as I thought it was at first glance. I ended up finishing thirty minutes early and as I handed my test in I could feel my classmates gawking at me in disbelief. I couldn't blame them though because it was at least 250 questions long, but it was so incredibly easy for me. My chemistry teacher even looked at me with clear shock on her face, though she quickly hid it.  
" Are you sure that you want to hand this in? Do you even know what this test is for?" She asked me. I honestly had no idea what the test was for, I completely zoned out while she was telling the class. I wasn't about to admit that out loud of course, so I just assured her that I knew.  
" Are you completely sure that you don't want to look over it? You still have enough time to do so." She asked me and I really didn't want to. I could find much better things to do in her class than reviewing that 250 question waste of time, like sleeping. That probably wasn't such a productive thong to do per say, but I was so very tired and I couldn't figure out why.  
" I'm completely sure that I do not need to review it." I smiled at her but she just took my test and told me to sit back down. I spent the rest of class sleeping.

* * *

I awoke to the bell sounding and I was happily on my way back to my new house. As I walked out of the gates I waved to Mitsume and Akiko who waved back with smiles. I also saw a large group of girls that were following that red headed boy around like lost pets, _Shuichi. _I saw that Ayame was one of the girls that were following him and she was ahead of the pack who stayed further back. I wondered if she came earlier this morning and that's the reason why I didn't see her.

I thought japanese girls were too shy to do those sort of things and I thought it was rather backwards. People back home didn't openly stalk good looking guys in school, but here it seemed like it was rather normal. I noticed however, that Shuichi didn't really seem to enjoy the attention, but he was trying to be as polite as he could. I also saw that many other good looking guys had girls surrounding them as well. It wasn't as big as Shuichi's group but it was still weird to see. I noticed that Hideo had a group of girls around him as well. I almost laughed because the difference between Shuichi and Hideo were quite comical. Shuichi didn't seem to like it, though, Hideo was having no trouble at all. I shook my head at the site and continued home.

That night I helped Anabe with dinner, we had japanese beef curry. Anabe made a lot considering how much I had eaten the other night. I told her that she didn't have to do through all that trouble but she waved the thought off and told me it was no trouble at all. We all ate in silence but I felt that the silence was too much to bear, so I started conversation.

_ " _Anabe-san, I really like your cooking. In my old house back home I never had a home-cooked meal. It's really refreshing." She smiled at me and thanked me for the compliment.  
" So I wanted to know if you would share your secrets with me and teach me how to cook." I added on, she seemed genuinely surprised. I guessed that Ayame never helped her around the kitchenand it must be lonely. I had absolutely no one to teach me how to cook, the only things I knew how to cook was microwavable food. I was even limited with that and sometime it didn't even come out right. I knew that if I didn't learn, then I would only be able to live off of instant ramen and breakfast burritos for the rest of my life.  
"Of course Ari-chan, it would be my pleasure." I was sort of surprised that she used the _chan_ suffix at the end of my name, I hoped that it was her warming up to me. At the end of dinner I felt that I was still hungry but I would not bother Anabe with that. I figured that I would just have to go into town tomorrow and shop for snacks to stash in my room. That way if I was ever hungry, then I could just gobble those up.

* * *

As I laid in bed, I thought about my day today. I met two great girls who could possibly become great friends, I also liked my classes well enough. I remembered how Anabe had packed me such delicious food, how Mitsume and Akiko shared their lunch with me because I my hunger was ridiculous.

I frowned, my hunger probably was the fact that I was growing. I figured this because there was no other possible cause. I wasn't pregnant and that was extremely laughable at because I had never even been intimate with a boy before. Sure I had been kissed but I haven't really done anything more than that. I wondered if there was something wrong with me, I just wasn't ready for a relationship. I had many other things to worry about, boys were not on the agenda. Even as I had this mentality, I couldn't help but to think of Hideo. He was good looking, tall, and girls were after him like crazy. I decided that I would try to get to know him tomorrow. He seemed nice enough and even if nothing was to come of it, he would be a good friend.

I slapped myself, literally slapped myself. I didn't know what I was thinking, I never wanted to have anything close to a boyfriend before. I had one or two, but I didn't really like them. It was all so confusing on why I was thinking this way in the first place. It was so unlike me and I didn't want to think about it anymore. My hormones were probably finally showing up after all these years. I fell asleep with my belly rumbling and thoughts about the grocery store I would go to tomorrow.

* * *

**ENDING NOTES**

I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, I worked hard and spent many days being a hermit. Please review. :)


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